Summer with Love

Where has it all gone, the months of sun have zoomed by in a haze of huge work projects, homework, holidays, daytrips, family and friends, trips to the pool, museums, picnics, moving house, an episode in hospital, healing (still), jam making, hornet stings, surnburn, BBQs, bowling, sleepovers, puppy training, tooth fairy visits, time with Grandma, the warm sea, Rugby camps, Circus Camps, Riding, making new friends, festivals, concerts, baking,  making christmas creations, packing, knitting, sewing, reading and talking.  Not long ago I thought we had really done very little this summer, but when I really think it through it has been a very, very full 3 months.  Now we are moving gently into Autumn and I love it, with it comes water, something we have a scarse supply of, and I will be able to give my plants the attention they deserve.

This week my eye has been drawn to conkers, sloes, blackberries, grapes, figs, bee eaters, swallows, bats, hawks, wispy clouds, forest views, walnut trees, ripe lemons, sad tomatoes, swelling olives, summer rain, grasshoppers, Oleanders, terracotta, ceramics, flat peaches and pomegranites - signs of September.

I am trying very hard to upload pictures in logical batches, so here goes... FESTIVAL time at Monteriggioni.

Mad world

Last of the september sun - before the boy's haircut

The last few months have been crazy busy, here and there, near and far, calm and nutty.  Today Autumn is finally here for certain, went to the market for fresh veg, everyone wearing puffy coats and hats - me not wearing these and nose was numb.  Cured by machiato (excuse my spelling).  The girl is watching Rio dvd I am mid muffin making, office cleaning, filing, garden designing, loft rummaging and cleaning.  Off to wardrobe sort now and uncover the winter clothes, leg-warmers at the ready!  Cosying up with family this weekend as no other mad comittments, Chicken casserole for supper and chocolate and banana muffins for the kids midnight munchines. x

September - summer review

Not really felt like writing much this summer, the season has zoomed by and now we are in September.  It is all too easy for me to feel frsutrated by what I havent acheived this summer, the places we didnt quite get to and the crafty things that are still to be made.  However, I am luckier than most as my kids go to school part time and I mostly work from home, although it is a pretty full on amount of work I have to do.  So to remind myself of the good things we have done over the summer holidays here is a little review:

Made Cherry Jam
Went to the Beach
Visited the outdoor Pool - alot
Went to Lucca
Weekend Camping at the Beach
Found a tortoise in the garden
Turned 40
Visited lots of old buildings and Abbeys
Grew Tomatos, Chicory, Cucumbers, Squashes, Chillis and Herbs
Made scary Chilli Sauce
Children did a market stall and sold beaded necklaces
Practised Calligraphy
Made and bought Christmas presents
Went Cycling - alot
Remmy the cat recovered from an Eye op
Ate lots of Italian icecream
Made Pate
Started to learn to Knit - again
Visited the Leonardo Da Vinci Museum
Had friends to stay
Grandma came on holiday
AA went camping with friends
The old hound kept on going - Hurray
Went up Monte Amiata for the day
TT lost her 2nd tooth, the tooth mouse and the tooth fairy came!
I got a new Garden Design job
Put on 3 pounds (Italian icecream)
Started learning about Italian wines
TT learnt to read in English
AA learnt to answer back -alot

We have done alot this summer it seems, but I do feel sad that school is starting, the boy is going to Media (middle school) and is growing up too fast. The girl wants to start ballet so we are going to find a class for her and I have finally joined a Yogalates class starting this month.  Next week I have a work trip to London and feel so weepy to be going away from home. 

September is without a doubt though the most beautiful month, the colours of the leaves, the bulging grapevines and ripening olive groves, the conker trees dropping spiky pods from above.  Soon we will have The boy's 11th birthday and the start of the Autumn Festas and Sagres (food festivals) Truffles, Porcini, Chestnuts, Olive Oil..... I can't wait.

I am in reflection mode at the moment feeling a little lost, last week the man and I had a lovely lunch in Siena then suddenly the chap behind us had want we assume was a massive heart attack, I tried to help his wife to stay calm and soothed her the best I could, but things looked very grim indeed. It shook me to the core and I cried all the way home, thinking how fast life can change so completely.  So I am reflecting on how I spend my time and with whom as we need to totally love every minute we have on this beautiful planet.

Autumn in Tuscany

Managed to take a few snaps in between the camera growling at me.... note the very old hound and the boy with too much homework. Also am cooking gnocci as too tired to make a roast dinner x

Changing Seasons

Well, 1st Sept marks the beginning of Autumn to me. The blackberries have gone and the sloes destroyed by the heat so this morning before I started work we collected wood. We plan to collect all our kindling and smaller wood this season and just top up with one wood load if we can. The children are collecting pine cones as I write and my DH is making me a cup of camomile tea. I feel uneasy today as I had hoped to be much further along with both books I am writing and can see long evenings at my desk looming. Archie is 9 this month so another era passes, I am researching HSP as I know I am highly sensitive to different energies and am sure he is too, we are also getting him allergy tested for his eczema and asthma this month. We had a very stressful day at the Doctor yesterday when Archie refused to be examined, tears were shed all round, he got so stressed he vomited. Tabby is very different to her brother - solid as a rock, a very wise and intuitive old soul and an anchor in all our lives. Today I must put in a good 6 hours at my desk on PR work but also hope to fit in some of these with the children:

• Salt Dough shapes
• Stencilling
• Painting clay
• Natural wind chimes
• Lists for school stuff
• mending of clothes
• Apple Crumble / Bread making / Muffins
• Italian lesson 1/2 hr

Looking at the list it seems too long, so on reflection maybe just a couple of things. But first a snapshot of our English West Country holiday.